D&D Fighter — Best Race in 5E Dungeons & Dragons

Our Best D&D Races for the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons classes seems to be a pretty popular series on our YouTube channel. This time we will delve into the D&D fighter. The fighter in 5E D&D is so much more interesting over the previous editions of Dungeons and Dragons. Because in 5E D&D a fighter can be built with either Dexterity or Strength as the primary ability score it makes for a lot options. Only the ranger is as flexible. Yes, I know other classes can be built using an alternate ability score but they usually are more interesting than optimized. But in the case of the ranger and fighter they loose any of their optimization.

We came up with 40 official D&D races optimized to play a fighter. That is a lot variety. When you factor in the seven different martial archetype subclasses to choose from you’ve got a lot of combinations.

D&D fighter — best race in 5E Dungeons & Dragons

Dexterity-based D&D races

Here is a list of races from the various D&D books that gain a bonus to their Dexterity ability score.

Bugbear

Goblin

Halfling

Kobold

Warforged (skirmisher)

With our Dexterity-based races the second ability score isn’t as important because you can easily build a ranged warrior who tends to be in the thick of it far less often.

Strength-based D&D races

Here is a list of races from the various D&D books that gain bonus to their Strength ability score.

Bugbear

Dragonborn

Dwarf (mountain/duergar)

Goliath (poor man’s half-orc)

Half-orc

Warforged (juggernaut)

In addition many of these get second ability score increase to Constitution making them even more effective as melee combatants.

Versatile D&D races

These are races with flexible ability scores and excel at any class in 5E D&D.

Half-elf

Human

Warforged (envoy)

These races can easily be built into either Strength or Dexterity-based D&D fighters.

Warriors of the Kabals form the beating heart of each Drukhari (Dark Eldar) strike force. They are the cruellest and most rapacious of their caste, hungry for power and thirsty for the suffering of others. Kabalite Warriors are merciless fighters of murderous intent, who are led to battle by Sybarites, masters in the craft of war.

D&D race features

At the core, a D&D fighter needs to be good at fighting. These racial features specifically make these races more effective in combat. All of these races get abilities that make them tankier, more damaging, or more effective at hitting in combat.

Bugbear — Surprise Attack, Long-Limbed

Half-orc — Relentless Endurance, Savage Attack

Human (variant) — Feat

Kobold — Grovel, Cower, and Beg, Pack Tactics

Warforged — Warforged Resilience, Integrated Protection

D&D races with militant and warlike themes

Here we have races with a martial tradition in the fantasy worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. In the case of dwarves, elves, and orcs, they have warlike traditions that predate Dungeons & Dragons with tales and stories from Tolkien.

Dragonborn

Dwarf

Elf

Githyanki

Half-orc

Triton

Warforged

Our top 3 races to play a D&D fighter

Here we are at our top 3 picks for the fighter. One for Strength, Dexterity, and the overall best choice. Each one of these choices found their way on all of the lists.

Halfling (stout) — Dexterity

Half-orc — Strength

Warforged

We were so close with going with the kobold for our top Dexterity build, but Sunlight Sensitivity edged them out in favor of the stout halfling. For Strength half-orc gets abilities that make it hit harder as well tankier and harder to bring down. Finally that brings us to our top pick, the warforged.

Warforged make great fighters whether your you want to build a Dexterity or Strength-based character. All three subraces are excellent for building a D&D fighter. Warforged literally have war in their name and a suite of abilities that makes them ideal warriors.

Feel free tell us about your fighter characters in the comments below.

My name is Dave Friant I’ve been gaming off and on for over 27 years. But here is the thing it’s always been a part of my life I’ve kept secret and hidden away. I’ve always been ashamed of the stigma that gaming and my other nerdy and geeky pursuits summon forth.

Recently I decided screw it! This is who I am the world be damned. From now on I’m gonna be a geek, nerd, or however folks want to judge me and just enjoy life.

Currently one of my greatest joys is introducing my 13 yr old son to table top RPG’s.

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My name is Dave Friant I've been gaming off and on for over 27 years. But here is the thing it's always been a part of my life I've kept secret and hidden away. I've always been ashamed of the stigma that gaming and my other nerdy and geeky pursuits summon forth.
Recently I decided screw it! This is who I am the world be damned. From now on I'm gonna be a geek, nerd, or however folks want to judge me and just enjoy life.
Currently one of my greatest joys is introducing my 13 yr old son to table top RPG's.